Toby Davis has roamed the sidelines in Newton County and surrounding areas for decades, but the lifelong coach has decided to step away.
Davis most recently served as the head coach of Alcovy High School’s flag football, soccer and softball teams.
Sports have been Davis’ life, and the decision was not an easy one.
“I talked to my mentor and I spoke to my family members, I definitely got input,” Davis said. “I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision before I made it. It’s one of those decisions where when you think about it, ‘Hey, do I really want to do it right now or just wait.’ I just decided that this was the right time to do it.
“I definitely want to thank Dr. [Patrick] Carter and Mr. [Michael] Chapple for giving me the opportunity to get into my thought process before I made my decision. It was a hard decision, a tough decision.”
The timing of the move revolved around the upcoming soccer season, but Davis knew it was the right time to step away.
“I had been doing some thinking. For soccer I was going to wait till the end of the season — but I was ready to step down,” Davis said. “I just wanted to re-group, come back with a better plan and strategize. I just need some time away from the game.”
Davis’ most recent stop at Alcovy was not his first on Highway 36, and his roots in Newton County go back even more.
The journey for Davis started in Henry County, where he worked in the Parks and Recreation Department before he went on to coach at McNair Middle School in Dekalb County.
There, Davis did not shy away from taking chances as he went on to coach football, track, wrestling and basketball.
Davis’ next stop took him to Southwest Dekalb, where he was faced with a whole new challenge — lacrosse.
Davis kickstarted Southwest Dekalb’s first ever lacrosse team, and by the end of the season he helped eight of his players receive scholarships to play college lacrosse.
Fast forward a few years and Davis found his way into Newton County and Liberty Middle School.
There, Davis was introduced to Karen Gibbs. Gibbs is currently Alcovy’s Assistant Principal and was Liberty Middle School’s Athletic Director at the time of Davis’ hire.
“Karen Gibbs, people don't give her the credit she is due,” Davis said. “She taught me everything I know. When I came over here to Newton County, she was the athletic director at Liberty Middle School. She taught me the game and everything I pretty much know about paperwork — how to schedule buses, how to put in for referees. She started teaching me everything I know from an athletic director standpoint.”
While Davis earned the inner workings of an athletic program for Gibbs, he helped continue the school’s winning legacy on the football field.
Davis led the Knights’ football program to multiple NewRock Championships and even a top 10 ranking in the state of Georgia.
Before many of Newton County’s top football players reached high school, they learned from Davis at Liberty.
Davis has coached former county-area players such as Robert Lewis and Koby Perry. Current players such as Deron Benson, Christian Paggett, Brandon Nolley and Martez Jones are just a few that were a part of Davis’ Liberty teams.
“I have been coaching for years, for decades,” Davis said. “I have seen and I have coached guys that have gone on to play Division I ball or playing at an elite level in high school or the NFL. I have been around the game forever.”
With the team’s success, college programs started to take notice.
“I started having Florida State coaches, Georgia coaches reaching out to me about middle school players. I was like, ‘Wow’” Davis said.
After two championships at Liberty, Davis began to receive offers to coach at Alcovy High School.
Davis noted that although he initially declined the position, Gibbs convinced him to take the opportunity and he ultimately became the Tigers’ offensive coordinator.
Davis’ first stint at Alcovy saw him coach the likes of Adrian and Andrea Robinson, as well as Koby Perry.
All three players were standouts in their own right, but the silver lining for Davis is what the three players have accomplished off of the field.
“These are guys that I coached, and now they have a family and they are taking care of their family,” Davis said. “It’s not about just going pro or going to the next level .You gain life skills.”
The desire to mold the next generation came from Davis’ own upbringing. Sports paved the way for Davis, and he hopes to let it do the same for everyone he has coached.
“As a young man when I was growing up playing sports, I didn't come from too much of nothing,” Davis said. “If you knew where I came from to where I am now. What my thing is and what drives me is this — sports have kept me out of trouble, because I stayed in a lot of trouble. I needed sports to save me, and sports saved me. It turned me around and made me a better man. I didn't plan to go to college. Sports took me to college.”
Davis went on to take positions in Rockdale and Dekalb Counties before he ultimately returned to Liberty and Alcovy to coach.
In his second stint with Liberty, Davis continued the dynasty he helped establish.
Before he coached his final season with the Knights in 2024, Davis led the team to its fourth straight NewRock title.
Davis’ accomplishments at Liberty:
2014 NewRock Football Championship
2014 Boys NewRock Track and Field Championship
2015 NewRock Football Championship
2015 Boys NewRock Basketball Championship
2015 Girls NewRock Basketball Championship
2015 Boys NewRock Track and Field Championship
2021 NewRock Football Championship
2022 NewRock Football Championship
2024 NewRock Football Championship
In his first season as Alcovy’s soccer coach, the school’s girls team re-claimed past success as he led the program to its first nine-win season since 2017-18.
Davis started the school’s first ever flag football program in 2025 and the team finished just one win shy of a playoff berth in what was a strong inaugural season.
While he has been told to take his talents to the next level himself, Davis shared reasons as to why he remained at the high school and middle school levels.
“People have said, ‘You should go to college and coach,’” Davis said. “I always try to give to the young kids at the high school level. Like my mentors tell me, ‘You are blessed with so much talent, you really need to go to college and coach.’ I am proud to see that others see more in me. It’s not that I don't see it in myself, but they always tell me, ‘You are a collegiate coach, if not more.’ I am just proud to be in this moment.”
While Davis is set to enter this new chapter, he will remain at Alcovy in a teaching role. However, he noted that the door for a return to coaching is more than open.
“I am going to leave the door open, because I love the game,” Davis said. “I love coaching, I love seeing young ladies and young men elevate to go to the next level. Anyway I can help to see them grow, that is my plan.”
